Bloomberg: Xbox To Offer Xfinity TV, FiOS

Cable companies are looking to put their services on multiple platforms to keep customers happy (and around) and Xbox Live is looking to boost entertainment offerings to compete against console rivals like Sony’s PlayStation 3, so this makes sense. If true, Comcast’s Xfinity TV and Verizon’s FiOS could be accessed by subscribers to the pay TV services on Microsoft’s premium Xbox 360 platform, which costs $60 a year. Microsoft also is talking with HBO, Sony’s Crackle streaming service, Bravo and Syfy and Lovefilm UK among others about content deals and could announce expanded offerings next week, the Bloomberg report says. Xbox Live already offers access to entertainment offerings via Netflix, Hulu and AT&T’s U-verse. It’s all part of the bigger fight to become the ultimate Web-connected console — one that users can use to navigate between playing video games and watching DVDs and TV while surfing the Internet — that pits devices like Xbox 360 not only against PS3s but also set-top boxes like DVRs, TiVo, Roku and Apple TV.